Faculty

Jidenna’s music proudly encompasses a wide range of vibes, ranging from afrobeat, funk, and R&B to dancehall and hip-hop. This kaleidoscope of cultures, eras, and sounds cemented the GRAMMY® Award-nominated multi platinum rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, and actor as an international sonic pioneer who paved the way for the 21st century Afropolitan music revival. Regarding rap as a gentleman’s sport, he applies etiquette, eloquence, and global consciousness to the culture with verbal excellence and global style. Since 2015, he has distinguished himself as a rare talent equally at home on a playlist by President Barack Obama, on the court at the 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, or on-screen in Marvel’s Luke Cage and HBO’s Insecure. After clocking just shy of one billion total streams and views and receiving worldwide acclaim, he continues to elevate the playing field with a series of singles and his forthcoming third full-length album due this year.

In 2015, Jidenna formally introduced himself with the double-platinum “Classic Man” [feat. Roman GianArthur]. It garnered a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration,” while Kendrick Lamar appeared on the official remix. Not to mention, a chopped-and-screwed version played in the Academy® Award-winning Moonlight. The song also paved the way for his full-length debut, The Chief, which arrived to praise from The New York Times, XXL, and more. In 2018, he traded Atlanta for Africa and lived throughout the continent as he consciously crafted his sophomore full-length, 85 To Africa. It yielded a string of international anthems, including “Babouche” [feat. GoldLink], “Tribe,” and “Sou Sou.” Plus, it notably touted international collaborations a la “Zodi” [feat. Mr Eazi] and “Worth the Weight” [feat. Seun Kuti]. In addition to praise from Pitchfork and The Guardian, Entertainment Weekly described the album as “coding the narratives of global black experiences, both lived and imagined, into heartfelt lyrics and a riot of new sounds discovered along a cross-continental journey.”

Bringing 85 To Africa to life, Jidenna became the first American artist to promote in Africa first, giving the continent the new music before anyone. He ultimately shined a light on the bridge across the Diaspora with a swanky, funky, and AfroChic vision of his own.

Closing out a banner 2019, Jidenna brought the album to life on the road with the 33-city 85 To Africa Tour, selling out cities coast-to-coast across North America. Following the tour, he continued to create. Kicking off 2020, Jidenna contributed “Feng Shui” to Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 4 and “Black Magic Hour” to the compilation African On All Sides. Right out of the gate, Time hailed the latter among “The Best New Songs of July 2020” and called it “entrancing.” Amplifying his voice further, he launched The Lit Review: A Black Men’s Book Club Hosted by Intoxicated Uncles. This innovative book club dissects topics relevant to the black diaspora and progressive masculinity by welcoming authors, dynamic influencers, and prominent voices across the spectrum of culture on his YouTube channel.